In a statement signed by the Acting Director, Social Affairs Department, African Union Commission, Mr. Machacha Shepande, the first activity on the continental awards event calendar is submission of entries which open globally on www.afrima .org to African music professionals either living on the continent or in the diaspora from Wednesday, May 15 and closes on Friday, August 2, 2019. Further details on entry submission guidelines are available on the AFRIMA website.

The submission of songs and videos must be produced or released under the year in review i.e. August 1, 2018 to August 2, 2019. African music artistes, managers, producers, record label owners, recording companies, video directors, Disc Jockeys, Choreographers/dancers, publicists and entertainment/music journalist are eligible to submit their works or submit on behalf of their clients in any of the 36 AFRIMA award categories.

Other activities on the event calendar are; the 13-man jury adjudication process and nominees selection from August 6 to August 12. A ‘World Media Announcement of 6TH AFRIMA Nominees’ List’ will take place on August 13 to publicly unveil African artistes and/or works that have been nominated in the regional and continental categories leading to winners of the AFRIMA 23.9 carat gold plated trophy.

On August 19, ‘AFRIMA Public Voting’ process will open to academy of voters, African music fans and followers around the globe which closes 24 hours before the main awards ceremony, and would be monitored and audited by a reputable International Auditing Firm.

According to the press statement, The Main Awards Ceremony, a four-day fiesta of music, glamour, Afrocentricism and entertainment, holds from November 6 to November 9 in the official awards Host City. It will be preceded by Welcome Soiree, AFRIMA Music Village, the Host City Tour, the Africa Music Business Summit, and the exclusive Nominees Party.

Other build up activities leading up to the main awards ceremony include conferences, stakeholders meetings, festivals, speaking engagements, University Campus Concert and courtesy visits to heads of governments and leaders of institutions in corporate and government sectors across the five regions of Africa to achieve an all-round engagement with all relevant AFRIMA stakeholders.

AFRIMA, in partnership with the African Union, is a music property that recognises and rewards the work and talent of a myriad of African artistes from the old to the new generation of musicians. It also stimulates conversations among Africans and between Africa and the rest of the world about the potential of the creative arts for real humanizing enterprise on the continent, contributing significantly to social cohesion, national, regional and continental integration as well as sustainable development in Africa. The live awards show is broadcast to over eighty countries around the world.

The 2018 edition of AFRIMA awards ceremony was hosted by the Republic of Ghana, through the partnership of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

Fans of African music globally can follow along and take part in the AFRIMA 2019 events on social media, live stream on the AFRIMA website, the AFRIMA App and by tuning to over 84 television stations which are AFRIMA partners.